Secrets of the Mind
by Dragonwish2
Summary: Fire and Brigan find a tunnel leading to the Seven Kingdoms. Meanwhile, Katsa and Po visit Bitterblue in Bitterblue City. See what happens when Fire and Graceling collide.
1. Chapter 1

Fire pulled on the reins, bringing her horse Small to a stop. She stared ahead at the blackened rubble that had once been Cutter's house. It was the grave of Archer, her dear friend. Fire dipped her head in remembrance, her eyes tearing up. A gentle, familiar voice spoke softly in her mind.

_Fire._

Fire looked over her shoulder, her tension fading to see Brigan ride up next to her on Big. Musa and Margo waited on their mounts a few yards away. In the distance, Fire could feel the many minds of the Third, who rode with them on their way to Roen. A band of thieves was attacking villages along the Little Grays, pillaging them and leaving them to burn in the night. Brigan was leading the Third to Mila's fort.

Brigan touched Fire's shoulder gently, and she sighed. An icy silence hung in the air until Fire finally spoke.

"It's been almost two years." He did not need to continue. Fire looked past the destroyed stable, where she had seen Archer's body before burning down the entire area. She looked at Brigan wearily. An ache was forming, in her back, her throat, in the pit of her stomach.

"The memories are still there, Brigan. No matter how hard I try to forget, it comes back to me, haunting me. Even after the funeral, I still feel a sense of… of debt, as though I owe him more."

Brigan was silent for a moment. He spoke softly, "You don't need to forget, my love. Just…. Forgive." Fire thought over his words, until she began to ease into gentle calmness.

_Thank you, Brigan. I can tell one of the Third is coming to retrieve you. I'm surprised they _

Brigan laughed softly. "They still remember how you saved Nash's life, oh monster life giver." He smiled, and Fire laughed.

"I still hate that ridiculous name. The healers saved his life, not me. Well, the healers and Mila." Hoof steps clattered behind them, becoming louder as it came closer. Brigan turned Big to meet a youthful man, riding towards them. He raised a hand.

"No need, I'm coming." The man stopped, waiting. Brigan sighed and glanced at Fire. "Come with me, Fire?"

Fire took one last look at the burnt rubble, and then nodded, pulling the reins lightly. Small turned and trotted towards the Third. Brigan followed on Big.

In two days the Third had made it to the warm rocks. From the ending of winter, the warm rocks were a relief from the days of cold riding. The tents were set up as far from the crevices as possible. Fire sat on Small's back, looking across the rock at another hole in the ground. The certain spot tugged at her memory. Where had she seen it? The memory hit her boldly. She could still see the boy staggering, clutching his eye, and falling into the hole, a bottomless pit. The boy, who had ordered Fire's capture, killed Archer, hurt Hanna, and had spoken of strange people and countries across the western mountains.

Brigan walked next to her, rubbing Small's side slowly. He stared at the crevice, thinking.

"This is where you ran into him, isn't it?" Fire nodded slowly.

"It's hard to tell, from the many cracks and crevices, but I can just feel it here." She froze, feeling another mind crawling from under a nearby rock. It was a monster viper, surviving the harsh winter through the warm rocks. Fire reached to Small's mind, trying to calm him, but she was too late. Small kicked backward at the snake, galloping wildly forward. Brigan drew his sword quickly, cutting off the head of the snake.

Fire pulled hard on the reins, something she never had to do before, only scaring Small further. He galloped towards the crevice, and a terrifying image came to Fire's mind; falling through, endlessly, splattering against the walls, her head spilling open on the warm rock walls. She jerked Small to the right, swerving them. Fire fell back towards the crack, her right ankle exploding in pain as it twisted in the stirrup. She fell against the walls of the pit. She glanced down at the blackness, and then forced her previous fear out of her mind, looking up at the slipping saddle.

Brigan ran, pulling Small's reins. Fire screamed at him. "Stop, stop it Brigan!" Brigan released the reins, and Small craned to look back at Fire. "Help me; my ankle's caught in the stirrup." Brigan ran to the saddle, grabbing it and releasing the billet strap, holding it carefully. Fire could see what would happen and called out. "No, it will-" She screamed as the saddle was released, Fire falling downward, pulling Brigan with her. Brigan grabbed out on the walls as they fell, finding a small crack. Fire felt increasing pain in her ankle. She waved her arms out, and was surprised to feel ice and rock. "There's ground! Release your hold on the walls!" Brigan stared down at her incredulously, but seeing her determined face, her let his fingers slide slowly.

Fire landed on her side, the saddle falling from her foot and hitting the ice covered ground. Brigan landed on it, arching his back in recoil. Fire lied on the ground, waiting until the pain in her side was numb. Brigan rose faster, leaning over her worriedly. _Brigan… my ankle._

Brigan hooked his arms under her back and knee, gently lifting her. Fire looked around, searching for a mind, seeking life. She heard voices far above, soft, then one booming down.

"My Lady, are you there?" Fire was relieved to hear Musa calling.

"Yes, Brigan is also here. Fetch some rope! We're stuck down here… Brigan, what are you staring at?" Brigan gazed into an open part of the pit, what looked like to be a tunnel. He was stony faced, his mind a wall. It felt like minutes before he spoke.

"Do you feel that? There's a breeze." Fire looked past him at the tunnel. He was right; a gentle breeze came from the tunnel's direction. _How could there be wind down here, unless…_

A rope smacked the walls, and Musa called out again.

"We got the longest ropes we could find, My Lady. We also fetched a healer." Brigan looked at the rope and pulled on it, then looked back to Fire.

"I'll fashion you a seat from the saddle." He tied the rope to the saddle horn and cut a hole in the back with a knife, looping the rope in it and tying it. He lifted Fire onto it and looked up. "Pull her up! You can bring it back down for me after her." Fire looked at him.

_I will not leave you here._ Brigan shook his head. The saddle shook and started to rise, jerking at first, but in a few minutes going up smoothly. It was almost half an hour before she was up at the edge. Neel and Musa pulled her and the saddle onto the ground, then pulled the saddle from under her and threw it back down. A big brown horse slowly walked backward. The rope attatched to the saddle was tied to the saddle horn of the large horse. She could just barely hear shuffling in the crevice. The rope went taut. Musa led the horse across the warm rock, pulling Brigan up on the saddle.

Fire watched his head appear, then his chest, and finally all of him. She ran and hugged him. Brigan held her tightly. He released her, looking her over. "How is your ankle?" Fire grimaced.

"It's only a sprain. It should heal in about four weeks, according to the healer." Fire reached out to Small's mind, calming him. He trotted up to her, snorting into her hair. Her headscarf had slipped when Small panicked. Musa handed Fire her scarf, and Fire quickly covered her hair. A raptor monster above was shot by one of the Third's archers.

Fire recalled the tunnel, glancing at Brigan. "We should speak to Garan and Nash about it when we return." Brigan nodded and turned as a man, this one garbed in the blue uniform of the Fourth, rode towards them hastily. He reined his horse to a stop by them, his face stern. Fire studied him and saw a gleam in his eye: what was he hiding?

"Captain Brigan, sir, King Nash sends word to come at once to King City to celebrate the birth of his new son." Fire could see a hint of a smile. Brigan stopped, his eyes widening. He nodded.

"Stay here for the night. We shall leave at dawn." He turned and entered his tent. Fire could feel him radiating joy. She smiled and left to her own tent to pack her things.

Brigan, Fire, a dozen of the Third, the man from the Fourth, and Fire's guard accompanied them to King City. Two of Brigan's captains stayed behind and led the rest of the Third onward to Roen. On the twilight of the first day of the third week, King City came into view. The green bridge was lit up by the setting sun. Brigan sat on a rock with Fire, watching it. Fire tilted her head onto his shoulder.

"You know, it really does look like fire." Brigan laughed and kissed her brow. Fire looked up into his eyes. "Mila's been a good queen, don't you think?" Mila had married Nash a year ago, after great patience on Nash's part. She had taken the role of queen well, raising her child and overseeing the servants of the castle with great kindness and care. Roen had given her free use of her fort, though the queen mother still assisted her with her many duties. Mila and Roen had moved into King City five months into the pregnancy, leaving Roen's head servant and guard in charge.

Brigan kissed Fire again. "She's a wonderful sister in law, that I know for sure. She is still learning from Roen, but I am glad to see my brother happy with her." He rose, pulling her gently up. "Good night, my dear." With one last kiss on the nose, he left into his tent. Fire gazed longingly at the flaming bridge, then went into her own tent and went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"My turn now, show me that!" A little girl cried out among those slashing at dummies. Katsa looked over at her and chose a small, four inch dagger with a leather softened hilt.

Katsa leaned over to the young girl, whose name she remembered to be Lily. She handed the girl the dagger. Lily took the weapon with a trembling hand. Katsa helped her clutch it properly. This was a problem for many girls she taught in Monsea. Her first pupil, Queen Bitterblue, had been scared of her weapon when she first had it. She had held it tightly, blistering her hand. The queen eventually softened with Katsa's help, and she could now wield a blade as easily as she could move her fingers. Katsa smiled at the memory.

It had been nearly six months since she had met Po and they had searched for the Lienid Tealiff, Po's grandfather. The search led them to Monsea, where they discovered the king's horrid Grace; King Leck could do any horror, be as cruel or rude as he pleased, but when he spoke, he clouded your mind into forgetfulness and blissful uncaring of his horrible personality. Katsa and Po had met Bitterblue hiding from her father Leck. Katsa had fled with the princess after Po had been horribly injured trying to kill King Leck unsuccessfully. Katsa found Leck at Po's castle, where she killed him before he could reveal Po's true grace.

Katsa winced, and Lily frowned. "Am I holding it wrong?" Katsa shook her head, and then began showing her a good fighting stance. No less than five minutes later, a knock rang through the small training room. Everyone paused to look. Katsa opened the door and smiled to see Raffin, followed closely by Bann.

"Your school is coming along well, I can see!" Raffin smiled slyly. Katsa laughed.

"Thank you. Do you have word from Po?" Katsa asked, hope blossoming that he might have sent a letter from Lienid. Raffin's smile vanished. Katsa frowned, her hope transforming into fear. "Did something happen to him? Is he okay? If he got into some trouble, I'll march out there myself and-"

"Nothing's wrong, Katsa. I just hate that you ruined the surprise." The prince looked over his shoulder and called into the hallway. "Come on in, Prince Greening, she already knows." Katsa stared at him quizzically as a silver and gold gleam flashed behind Raffin. Katsa smiled and pushed past Bann and Raffin, jumping into Po's outstretched arms. She hugged him deeply, with childish _oohs_ and _aahs_ following behind her. Katsa looked into Po's mismatched eyes.

_Why aren't you still in Lienid? It's not even fall yet._ Po smiled in return, placing a finger on her lips to quiet her.

"Raffin, can you excuse us to the girls?" Raffin nodded, still smiling mischievously. He turned and beckoned the girls into the back courtyard for a break. Po kissed Katsa on the nose, and they walked towards the white castle of Queen Bitterblue.

Katsa navigated the castle with Po's help, traveling through the bright hallways after Po gave her directions to the room. Katsa admired the changes made in so few months since Queen Bitterblue came to rule. The rooms were all given windows except those on the innermost core, and there was one room high up with one wall entirely made of glass. The courtyard was lively and full of people talking. A fountain in the center depicted the queen kneeling with her palms open and spouting water into the marble pools below.

Katsa opened the door to the study, where the queen was talking to her many advisors. The group sat at a round teak table, warmed by the gentle fire from the hearth along the eastern wall. A sofa and some plush chairs with blankets and pillows circled the fireplace. Bookcases were lined up against the back of the room, stocked full of big books on varying topics, though most were of previous governments and the history of the Seven Kingdoms. Helda, Bitterblue's nanny, was passing out tea to the men and women. The group of people looked up as Katsa and Po entered the room.

Bitterblue stopped speaking and rose. Katsa gave a slight bow with Po. Bitterblue nodded before running to Katsa, hugging her. Katsa returned the favor, stroking her silky hair before the queen stepped back. Bitterblue was beaming now. "I'm glad to see you," she said. Then, in a lower voice, "These meetings are boring me to death." She turned to her advisors and nodded. They took their tea into the hallway, dispersing as they chatted merrily. Bitterblue sat back in a soft, feather stuffed chair. Katsa took the couch, leaning against Po. She could feel his heartbeat here, steady and soft. _Thump. Thump. _

Helda handed Bitterblue her tea and frowned at Katsa. "Your lovely hair is so short, Katsa. You really should consider growing it back out." Katsa felt her short hair, which had grown a bit longer. She decided not to cut it as short in the winter, to leave it a bit shaggy for a bit of warmth, not that she needed it. She was Graced with survival; she never fell ill, did not feel tired from little sleep as others did, could always start a fire, and could kill easily with her bare hands.

Bitterblue stared intently at Po. "So, Prince, what have you done in Lienid while you were away?" Po smiled at her as he recalled his tale. He had returned to Ror City and spent three months with his father, the king. He had also stopped by his castle and tended to it for a few weeks.

"I missed you the entire time, Wildcat." He kissed Katsa. Bitterblue looked away, smiling. She rose and looked to Helda. "I think we should go to my room now. We have the Autumn Feast coming up soon, an old custom of Monsea that had fallen unnoticed in the past years. You will attend, won't you?" She looked to Po and Katsa. Po nodded. "Thank you! It will be in two months, on the autumn equinox." Bitterblue hugged them again, and then left with her nanny.

Po looked to Katsa. "Looks like you'll have to wear a dress." Katsa groaned and released her head back. Po laughed and held her as they gazed into the firelight.

* * *

><p>Gavin rubbed a hand through his hair as he surveyed the forest. He reached down into his saddlebag and retrieved a scrolled up map which showed Monsea in great detail. Gavin scanned the parchment, his white and brown eye memorizing the inked lines. Gavin was a Graceling from Monsea, though even he didn't know what his Grace was. He had been given to the king at the age of three when his eyes became a startling chestnut and green, and lived in the castle for thirteen years. The king, Leck, had sent him to work in the forest after giving up discovering his Grace. Gavin had worked as a forest warden in the far east of Monsea, along the river and near the mountains, far from any criticizing people.<p>

Gavin had dark brown hair and tan skin, almost matching the various wood of the forest. He was well muscled and fairly strong, with an observant eye. He wore a brown coat and trousers, with tall boots and a short sword and scabbard at his belt. A bow and quiver of arrows was strapped across his back, and a cloak flowing behind him for warmth in the cool evening.

His horse nickered and Gavin pat his neck, stirring him forward with a gentle snap of the reins. He rode east to a pile of rubble; a cave in had occurred along the mountains. Gavin slid off his horse and stepped cautiously towards the large opening. A flash of movement caught his eye. His horse sniffed and stepped back, eyeing the cave in with contempt. Gavin knelt and grabbed the hilt of his sword.

A mouse scuttled between rocks. Gavin blinked and rubbed his eyes- the mouse had looked as blue as the sky. He rubbed his temple and turned back to his horse. He would come back later, when he wasn't so tired. Gavin mounted and rode back towards the warden building.


	3. Chapter 3

Mila held her new son Jonah as Brigan, Claire, Nash, Garan, and Fire sat at the meeting table discussing. Brigan explained to the others how he believed a passage to the west had been found, if perhaps dangerous. Garan immediately opposed it.

"You expect us to empty our coffers on a crazy hunt for a land that may be thousands of miles away, uninhabited, and full of wild strange eyed people? If it even exists, it could take months to reach it by your so called tunnels, and we're not made of money!" Garan argued.

Brigan shook his head. "A boy wouldn't be able to survive a month's journey through tunnels, especially one his age. It has to be a short trip, otherwise that, oh, what is it, _Graceling_ wouldn't have been here and caused all of the trouble he did." Brigan was adamant, and the argument continued until Clara spoke up.

"Right, if we're to be traveling west and throwing ourselves into holes in the ground, you might as well do it intelligently. I know just the people you should bring, and I'll fetch them this instant." Clara rose and left, leaving Garan in his chair coughing in a splutter of anger and annoyance. Brigan nodded and watched Clara leave.

"I will lead the team, then. We can leave in five days." Brigan stood to leave.

"And I will go with you." Fire spoke firmly.

Brigan began to protest, but Fire silenced him. _Brigan_, she thought to him,_ if there are more Gracelings like that boy, then you will need me. What if you face one older than him, strong enough to break all minds with a simple word? Do you intend to cut the tongue off of everything you meet there? I am going, and that is that._ She left the meeting room and walked towards her bedchamber.

* * *

><p>There were sixteen people going in all; two archers to hunt down any raptor monsters- or anything else that needed to be fired at- Musa, Neel, and two others from the First, two healers, a tracker who knew how to survive in most every severe climate in the Dells, a surgeon, a tunnel expert, Brigan, Fire, and two men to bring the horses back to King City when they reached the crevice. Nineteen horses waited for them at King City's gates, with the saddle bags all loaded and ready. Three horses were prepared to carry supplies that would be needed; two with food and water, and the last carrying climbing gear for the tunnels. Brigan stood by Big, and Fire by Small. They stared out over the Winged River, whose waters had risen in the spring.<p>

Brigan held Fire's right hand gently. "Fire, my love, are you sure you can do this? You argued that there may be more like him, and that I need you along for it, but can you truly face another like Leck?" He stared into her eyes dotingly, and tears sprang to Fire's eyes. She squeezed his hand.

"I can do it. If anything, I have to, to... to redeem myself, so I can forgive." She turned as Nash and Mila, holding Jonah, approached. Nash hugged his brother deeply.

"Rocks, Brigan, you leave just when we begin to celebrate. The feast will be bittersweet without you there." Nash looked to the bundle in Mila's arms, then back to Brigan and Fire. "Do be careful, will you? I don't want to find a messenger telling me one day that you died in a cave, never to be seen again." He smiled grimly, and Brigan nodded.

Mila smiled to Fire. "I hope this helps you, Fire. May you find peace in this journey." Fire smiled and curtsied to the queen, but the motion held all of her affection and care for her. As she rose, one of the First's soldiers approached on horseback.

"Brigan, sir, we're ready." Brigan nodded and mounted Big, turning to ride towards the group that lay waiting at the gates. Fire hugged Mila and Nash good-bye and followed Brigan on Small. People watching from King's City waved as they left, until they had disappeared on the horizon into the wilderness of the Dells.

Fire was silent, thinking as they rode. _If there are more like Leck_, she thought,_ I will find them, and they shall feel all of the suffering they have caused upon me. I swear it._

* * *

><p>Po gasped as he woke, sweating and panting in his bed. Katsa immediately sat up next to him, watching. "Po, are you alright? What was it?" Po shook his head, but the fear in his eyes betrayed him. Katsa's forehead furrowed in concern. <em>Po, what is wrong?<em> Po was silent, but he stared away, past Katsa exactly facing east. Katsa recognized the terror through his gaze, until he relaxed and laid back down. Katsa reluctantly ordered herself to sleep, but something in the back of her mind nagged at her.

* * *

><p>The sun rose on Fire's tent, awakening her into a bright morning. Outside the others gathered up their makeshift tents upon the warm rocks, the healers gathering fresh water in a stream that had formed from the Winged River. A week and a half from King City and they had already reached the warm rocks. The spelunker, Fredric, swung a large grappling hook dangling from a thick rope with ease. "Tell me again of the tunnel, Lady. Was it too dark to see to the bottom from above? How wide was it?" As Fire again described the crevice, Brigan approached on Big with the tracker.<p>

"The opening is near, though you'll need to confirm it's the one, Fire." He scanned over the camp and nodded in approval. "Alright, let's move out. We have the supplies all set and ready." He waited as Fire mounted Small before riding off with her to one of the various openings in the ground. Fire stared at it from all angles before slowly nodding.

"We're here." She dismounted, handing Small's reins to one of the guards and removing the packs from Small's saddle bags._ The moment has finally arrived_, she thought, _now if I only knew what lay ahead._

* * *

><p>Almost two weeks after Po's mysterious night-time trauma, Katsa was watching Bitterblue sit at the meeting table as she surveyed a map of the courtyard, which featured detailed notes on the ends for the upcoming festival. "Just four weeks, Katsa. I heard stories of this event when I was a child- well, younger. It always sounded mystical, and it was important in bringing the kingdom together. I'm eager to see it for the first time with my own eyes." She rolled up the map, smiling merrily up at Katsa. "Things have changed so much since… since my father died. It's a blessing, and I'm glad to have you here with me to enjoy it." She left, her words hanging in the air around Katsa. The Graceling considered it. <em>I'm more of a comfort<em>, she thought, _than someone to share joy with. The beast ready to throw herself before others whenever someone turns a knife on them._ The words were spiteful, and she regretted thinking it, but something inside her wanted to lash out at someone. She muttered a growl and left the meeting room, suddenly disdaining the kind appearance of it.


	4. Chapter 4

The cave was dark, damp, and smelled of an unknown substance that Fire hardly cared to investigate. Fredric checked the walls, declaring the tunnel 'safe and well supported'. She observed the man for a moment. His mind was strong as well as his body, and his height was even greater than the prince's. His large arms were scarred and rough, but his round face was warm and gentle. He had a certain palpable wisdom in his eyes. The spelunker reminded her of Roan or Brocker, as if he should be retired but his burning spirit still held too much passion to follow his body. Fire wondered as to his home; could he have been from the Little Grays, or was he from the south? His paler skin gave an indication of Pikkian descent, but, then again, she overheard him telling a healer that most men of his profession grew naturally pale. This aroused new questions. Were Pikkians once a people of caves, like those who had taken her in once long ago when she first fell to the warm rocks? She tucked the idea in the back of her mind with the resolve to investigate after her return. For now, she thought, there was the matter of the cave.

Torches were lit and held by the soldiers and their leading captain. The flickering lights cast many shadows and revealed a long tunnel that stretched out westward. Fredric and Brigan were the first to approach the opening, the former bearing a calm step and the latter's courage leading him to follow.

Fire strained her neck and looked up above. Only the thinnest ray of light reached the chasm's bottom, occasionally darkening as a shadow passed over it. Were they clouds, she wondered, or a monster raptor who still searched for prey among the desolate ground below? She looked around her and realized, with a strangely pleasant mixture of relief and disbelief, that there were no monsters capable of reaching her so far below. Her hand reached up and pulled off her scarf, slowly, as if scared that a monster leopard would suddenly leap from the darkness the moment she let down her guard. The cool feeling of wind on her uncomfortably warm head felt blissfully sweet. She pulled the rest of the itchy cloth off in one strong tug and let out an audible sigh as her locks fell down her back.

The silence that followed felt out of place. Fire squinted in the darkness and became conscious of the fact that several people in the group were staring at her, their minds completely blank and open. She calmed herself and said slowly, "Fredric, what do you think of the tunnel? Will it hold?"

The poor spelunker was surmised by the question. He straightened and nodded firmly. "Aye, it shall, my lady. These walls are made of a fine rock; it won't crumble on us." As he spoke, he reached out a thick hand and patted the walls gently, as if they were a friendly steed on whom he was praising after a show. "We'll be safe in here, as long as we're careful."

Brigan swung his torch, and Fire was oddly reminded of Hanna during her sword fighting lessons. She smiled at the thought; it was rare for her to spot a similarity between the two, but when she did, it always felt like a special treasure she had unearthed. Brigan caught her smile and returned the favor. His eyes twinkled in the firelight like stars in a dark sky. Yes, Fire thought, Hanna's eyes shine just like that. His voice broke her thoughts, and she pulled her wandering mind from her daydream.

"Keep on your guard," Brigan ordered, unraveling a length of rope as he spoke. "You're to keep one hand on the rope at all times. If you can't see anyone's light, then you're lost. Fredric will keep tags on the walls as a precaution, but," and he looked directly into Fire's eyes, "try not to lose your way." He handed her an end of the rope and she took it, knotting it around her hand and gripping it firmly. The prince appeared reassured by her actions and moved on without another word.

"Everyone's got a rope?" Fredric said softly; for such a large man, Fire was surprised to hear him speak as quietly as a lamb. "Good. Keep an eye on the rope, and you might make it out of here alive." There were several shocked murmurs, mostly from the healers, but one of the soldiers fidgeted nervously. The spelunker let out a soft chuckle. "I am teasing- but you may wish to consider the danger of the caves before you decide to let your hand slip." He stared around, gazing into each party member's eyes before grinning and asking, "Who would like to enter first?"

Naturally, no one volunteered.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the <em>super<em> late update guys, school got the better of me, and I just ended up losing inspiration. However! I read Bitterblue (amazing book, go read it) and my muse has returned. I promise, the next few chapters will be much longer and this will be updated frequently. Thank you for all of the kind reviews, follows, and favorites; be sure to review this new chapter and tell me what you think. **


	5. Chapter 5

Gavin gripped the hilt of his knife with a clenched fist. Thunder craved above him, splitting the dark sky and briefly lighting his surroundings. The wind whipped around the immobile trees and screamed at the foliage to bend. They would not give, Gavin knew, not for the greatest storm in Monsea. His eyebrows knit together in frustration. A great and burdening warning flared in his instincts and yelled at him to run. The ominous signal did not come from above, or from any known location. Gavin scowled at the sky and bit back a curse. If the storm wasn't the problem, what was? His mind could not provide an answer. For once in his life, the wild man regretted his lack of education. He had never cared for mathematics or the strange sciences practiced by some in his kingdom, but it seemed mighty useful to have a mind of logic whenever unknown trouble came about. A tingle came from his nose; he dared not scratch it and risk letting his guard down. His nerves were coiled like a viper about to spring.

The sky roared again with thunder. It was louder, and the lightning was closer, but Gavin did not fear it. The familiar surroundings and situation almost calmed him with an odd bittersweet nostalgia. His calm was broken swiftly, for a shadow moved in the moments of light, approaching as fast as the storm. The gamekeeper drew his short blade and turned in a circle, his mismatched eyes darting across the plain as fast as a squirrel running from a raptor.

_Hunt. Prey. Eat._

Gavin turned and roared as a large beast fell upon him, it's massive paws bearing claws as long as his dagger and twice as sharp. He ducked away from the beast and rolled out from under it, stabbing wildly, but it dodged easily and growled. Gavin swung his blade from above with a mighty roar and gazed straight into the eyes of his attacker and-

He stopped.

A demon took hold of his body and mind, and for what felt an eternity he could not move. The raindrops around him fell at the speed of a snail, glimmering like diamonds. Gavin would have been stunned by the awe-striking clarity if not for the sight his eyes beheld. The beast was a wolf, but not like any he had ever seen. Its fur shone a deep purple like the eastern mountain sunset. Its pupils were surrounded in a deep pool of blue as calm and clear as a lake after a storm. Gavin felt the hilt of his sword loosen in his grip, an unfamiliar feeling that stunned him. Not once in his life had he lost such control of a sword; even as a child, he had mastered the metal with ease. The alien sensation snapped him back to his thoughts in the blink of an eye. He suddenly saw the wolf leaping at him, snarling and spitting with its jaws open wide and aiming for his throat. The gamekeeper threw his arm up with his blade parallel to his arm. His nerves felt the metal extension of his body slice through flesh and bone with a sudden pressure, he heard the growl transform into a whimper and then a _squelching _noise. The wolf's head thumped to the ground and rolled across the sodden grass.

Gavin held his chest with one massive hand. His heartbeat was positively erratic, and his lungs expanded and contracted at an astonishing speed. He clutched his chest tighter and forced himself to focus on the freezing rain and let his worn body cool down. The trees no longer screamed in agony, and even the swaying of the grass appeared much gentler than before. The lightning moved further away, into the western mountains. Gavin let himself return to normal thoughts. He would have to check for any lightning sparked fires, that was to be sure, and see if any more of the strange animals were around. His white and brown eyes fell upon the kill warily.

The wolf still lay in the field, its talons outstretched at a nonexistent foe. Its head was several feet away. The tongue fell from the sharp jaws in a comical fashion; its blue eyes no longer held their mystical sheen. Come to think of it, Gavin thought, the whole corpse no longer enchanted him as it once had. Surely it was a beautiful thing, but no more for its color than any magical essence. The demon had left him for good. No longer would it poison his thoughts.

Gavin approached the head and knelt beside it. He closed the wolf's eyes and murmured a blessing and thanks, an honorary farewell to the worthy opponent and a fellow survivor of the forest. It had been an honest kill. Painless, he hoped, with little regret to plague the poor wolf's soul. He rose from his spot and drew a long, thin dagger from his belt. No honoring foe would allow the other's body to be torn away so horribly by the crows. Gavin skinned the wolf, bundling its pelt inside his bag and taking a portion of meat for food. The remains he buried, returning the wolf's body to its home and whispering one last blessing before he left.

He found his horse by his cabin, waiting in the stables and whinnying as he approached. Donru, a fine mare with a shining black coat and white markings, happened to be a fine companion to her owner during the many months of wild life. She reached her head out and watched him come near. An unfamiliar smell reached her nostrils and she snorted, but she calmed when he touched her nose gently. Gavin reached into his bag and pulled out a carrot from his garden, cleaned by the rain and fed to the eager mare. He stroked her side as she munched happily. "My dear, it is to be a long night. The storm has left us in peace. We are to live another day." He petted her side and took a brush through her mane. Donru reached down into his bag and flipped it open with her nose, shying back at the wolf skin. Gavin tensed at her sudden reaction but quickly realized her fears. "Do not worry," he assured her, "the beast attacked me during the storm. It is long dead; it can't hurt you now." The mare did not seem reassured. She whinnied and struck the stable door with her knees.

Gavin frowned and held up some of the pelt, watching it in the moonlight. "I suppose it is rather strange. Its coloring is befitting to the tales of drunken men in bars." Donru gave a snort of disapproval, and Gavin laughed. "Aye, perhaps some foolish boy decided to dye its fur for amusement." He frowned again and ran his thumb through the soft fur. Would it not have washed out in the rain, he wondered, had it been mere paint? His head was hurting again; he was lacking in sleep. Donru turned soft and nuzzled him with her nose. Gavin sighed and leaned into her mane, breathing in the smell of hay and the forest. He stepped out from her and nodded in assurance. "I'll see you in the morning, my dear." With a whinny to bid him farewell he blew out the light and left, tightly securing the windows and door in case of another storm or wolf.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm terribly sorry that this isn't the FireKatsa union that you might have been hoping for, but fret not! I plan on their meeting in the next chapter. I just needed a little more on Gavin first... any guesses as to his Grace? You'll find out soon enough if you don't know yet. Oh, and before I forget, I plan on updating every Tuesday from now on unless I alert you beforehand as to a change. So, I hope you're looking forward to that, and I do hope you enjoyed this. Please drop off a review and let me know how I'm doing so far!**


End file.
